Protection Against a Cyber Security Attack in the Workplace

February 25, 2017 1:45 am

Cyber-attacks on businesses are unfortunately a very real and common problem in this digital age. It’s easy to forget about simple security measures in the day-to-day running of the business, however if you don’t protect the workplace from security and cyber security risks you will put yourself, your clients and customers in danger.

So, how do you protect the workplace against cyber-attacks? Below you’ll discover some of the best ways to improve your security.

Identifying the risks and dangers

Before you can take adequate security measures, it helps to identify any current weaknesses in your security system. A simple and effective way to do this is to hire a professional company like Nettitude to carry out penetration testing.

Penetration testing simulates a real cyber-attack and discovers any flaws in your current security. If you aren’t familiar with how a hacker could gain access to your systems, hiring a professional company which deals with this day in and day out means you will be able to know what to look for. They will be able to identify and protect early on any imposing threats or security attacks. It is something you should consider incorporating into your business.

Ensure all data is encrypted

Whilst data encryption is not a security safety net it is often the last line of defence against cyber attackers inside or outside the company. It might be the only thing left standing between the attacker and all your high valued data When you store important data, even when it isn’t being streamed online, it is still at risk of being stolen. That is of course, unless it is encrypted. Using the right encryption tools will help to secure the data, but only when you are logged out of the system. Business regularly use it to protect corporate secrets whilst governments use it for storing classified and high security data.

Invest in the latest anti-virus and malware software

Anti-virus and anti-malware software are absolutely essential. Equally important, is ensuring the software you are using is up-to-date. If you’ve had the same anti-virus software installed for several years and it hasn’t been updated, you won’t be fully protected. You should check and make sure all you programs and software are current and regularly make sure to check for any updates or upgrades.

It’s also good to note that the same rule applies for any type of software you use. It’s easy to think security threats only apply to outdated anti-virus software, but the truth is that any software you use could pose a threat if it isn’t frequently updated.

Frequently change your passwords

Ensuring you have a strong password is a basic, yet vital requirement. However, it’s also important to make sure you are changing the password frequently. While it may be more difficult to remember and a little inconvenient, changing the password regularly will make it much harder for hackers to get past your security. Also, don’t make your password something simple or easy to guess. Work passwords should also be very different and not any that you currently use for personal accounts. Make sure it’s a strong password.

Sign up for real time alerts

A lot of banks, financial and credit card companies have real time updates and notifications services, that will contact you prompt in the event of any activity deemed suspicious or unusual. This means your kept aware and wary of any impeding security breaches.

Overall, it’s quite simple to protect the workplace against a cyber-attack. However, you do need to keep up with the latest security measures. Hackers continuously become smarter and find ways around present security protocols. So, updating your systems and software frequently and following the tips above will really help to ensure your business is protected and safe from a cyber-attack. Check out cyber business tools like penetration testing and red team testing for extra security precautions.